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Security Guards

Explore national pay levels, state-by-state opportunities, and metro market strength for this occupation. CareerMatch combines salary and employment data to help users see where a career has the strongest footprint.

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Security Guards

National Avg Annual Salary

$42,890

National Avg Hourly Wage

$20.62

National Total Employment

1,241,770

Top Metro Avg Salary

$76,610

Career Snapshot

Use these highlights to quickly understand where this occupation pays best and where it has the broadest employment base.

Highest Paying State

District of Columbia leads this occupation with an average annual salary of $60,420.

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Largest State Market

California has one of the largest employment markets with 185,510 jobs.

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Highest Paying Metro Area

Idaho Falls, ID shows an average annual salary of $76,610.

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Largest Metro Market

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has a broad labor footprint with 138,940 jobs.

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National vs Top Market Pay Comparison

Top States by Average Salary

Top Metro Areas by Average Salary

Top Metro Areas by Employment

Top States for Security Guards

Ranked by average annual salary. Click the state name to open that state’s ranking page.

State State Code Avg Salary Total Jobs View
District of Columbia DC $60,420 16,160 Open
Alaska AK $54,720 2,050 Open
Washington WA $52,940 24,820 Open
Minnesota MN $50,110 14,030 Open
Idaho ID $48,350 2,710 Open
Colorado CO $47,850 16,830 Open
New Hampshire NH $47,720 2,630 Open
Virginia VA $47,650 33,440 Open
Oregon OR $46,110 11,550 Open
California CA $45,970 185,510 Open

Top Metro Areas for Security Guards

Ranked by average annual salary. Click a metro area to open its local ranking page.